Enclosed fuse and switch



March 22, 1949. Q E, FlTZGERAL 2,465,079

ENCLOSED FUSE AND SWITCH Filed bec. 17, 194e Patented Mar. 22, 1949UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENCLOSED FUSE AND SWITCH George E.Fitzgerald, Stratford, Conn.

Application December, 1946 Serial No. 716,737

1 Claim. l

The invention disclosed in this patent vapplication relates to combinedfuse 'and switch units of the type covered in United States Apatentapplication Serial No. 680,892, led July 2, 1946, in which theseelements are so compactly related that they mat7 be mounted as a unit onan -outlet box cover 'and be enclosed within -an ordinary outlet box.

A special feature of the units mentioned is that the device is.protected by a cover and that the opening and `closing of this coverserves to cut the fuseout of and into circuit.

The objects of the present invention 'are to improve the structure andoperation of the fuse and switch constructions described, particular- 1yto eiect a locking-of the 'switch cover in the open and closed switchpositions; to guard against accidental release or closure of the switchoperating fuse cover; to attain a more positive movement and action ofthe fuse cover; t coniine gases vthat may be released on blowing of thefuse to the outlet box in which the device is mounted and to providepositive means land to aord definite indication of the switch throwingoperations eiected by the movement of the cover.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention will appear in thecourse of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification-illustrates a present commercial embodiment of the invention.Structure, however, may be modied and changed as regards the immediateillustration, Aal1 Within the true intent `and broad scope of theinvention as hereinafter deiincd and claimed.

Fig. l in the drawing is a front elevation of the combination fuse andswitch unit as mounted on and combined with an ordinary outlet box;

Fig. 2 is a broken part sectional view on substantially the plane ofline 2-2 of Fig. l, with the fuse cover closed and the switch in closedcircuit condition;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the cover open and .the switch in opencircuit conditi-on;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the com-plete device, in the closedcondition indicated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top .plan view of the complete unit in closed condition.

The construction shown is like that disclosed in the patent applicationreferred to and copending herewith, embodying an insulating base 'isecured on the back of an outlet box cover 8 and carrying a fusereceptacle 9 accessible at the front of the box cover and a switch atthe back for cutting the fuse receptacle into and out of circuit, thisswitch `made ,up of relatively stationary and movable contacts I0, II,the latter operably engaged by an insulating plunger I2 actuated by thepivoted fuse cover II 3.

In the present invention the 'fuse cover and the box cover are made withcompanion -portions overlapping :to form an enclosure which will confinegases within the outlet box.

vIn the illustration the box cover 8 carries an outstandingannular'flange 'I4 which in the closed .position surrounds the circularrim portion I5 of the hollow fuse cover.

The enclosing flange I4 is shown as extending back into complementalengagement at I6, Figs. l and 4, with the inner edges of the spacedhinge lugs I'I carrying Ithe |pivot pin 'IB `for `the fuse cover.

The hinge lugs I1 are shown connected together across the back by anintegral bridging `and spacing portion I9 kand these connected lugsforming the hinge bracket are shown as having portions 20 rivetedthrough the back of the cover plate 8.

A doubled spring is shown provided to assist in throwing and holding thefuse cover in different positions, said spring having a base portion 2|positioned and held against the face of the box cover by the connectingstrap portion I9 of the hinge bracket and by lugs 22 at opposite edgesextending out through notches 23 in the sides of the hinge bracket, Fig.4. The doubled over portion of the fuse cover spring is shown in Figs. 1'and 5 as biiurcated to provide separate springs 24 for engagement withthe angularly related cam portions 25, 26, of the hinge lug extension 27of the fuse cover, at opposite sides of the switch actuating plunger I2.

The separate spring arms 24, by their independent, rrn engagement withthe hinge lug of the fuse cover at opposite sides of the switch plunger,tend to snap the fuse cover into the open `and closed positions and tohold it :firmly in such relations. This is particularly important in theclosed position, confining the fuse cover tightly against the face ofthe box cover.

To prevent accidental or unintended operation oi the fuse cover andhence the switch, special locking means are provided, consisting in theillustration of a latch lever 28 pivotally confined on the fuse cover at29 and having laterally projecting lugs 30 at the outer end of the sameto engage with the shoulders 3| to lock the cover closed and to rideover arcuate portions 32 into notches 33 to lock the cover in openposition.

The inner end of the latch lever 28 is shown as having a iingerdepressible handle portion 34 and beneath this portion there is shownconfined a V-bent spring 35 for rocking the lever in the latchingdirection.

The pivot for the latch lever is indicated as a T-shaped lug extendedloosely through an opening in the transversely grooved portion 36 of thelever and riveted at 31 at the under side of the cover, as shown in Fig.3.

The latch lugs 30, in riding over the arcuate portions and snapping intoengagement with the locking shoulders 3|, 33, at opposite ends of thesame, afford denite indication of the On and Off positions of the switchand show that the switch is locked in either the Oli or the On positionand that the fuse, accordingly, is either out of or in circuit.

In the open circuit position the cover is locked up out of the way,leaving the fuse fully accessible for easy, safe removal.

To guard against accidental or unintentional release of the latch, thefinger pressure portion of the latch cover is shown surrounded by a U-shaped guard wall or flange 38, which may be as high or higher than thisreleasing portion of the latch. Also, the releasing handle portion ofthe latch lever may be relatively narrow, as appears particularly inFig. 1, so as to require purposeful finger operation to eiect release ofthe same. Disposed as it is, over the center portion of the cover, thelatch lever is in convenient position for operation by one finger Whilethe cover is gripped between other nngers of the same hand to shift thecover as a handle for throwing the switch one way or the other.

What is claimed is:

A safety lock for a fused switch of the type in which a fuse coverhinged on the front of a switch and fuse enclosure can be opened andclosed to ei'ect opening and closing of the switch within the enclosureand in which the fuse cover is mounted for such hinging movement byhaving a hinge extension pivotally engaged between a pair of spacedhinge lugs, said safety lock being operative to automatically securesaid cover and switch in either closed or open condition and comprisinga latch lever pivoted intermediate its ends on top of said fuse cover inexposed position for release by an intermediate nger of a hand operatingsaid fuse cover and having a finger depressible end portion extendingover the central portion of the fuse cover and the opposite endprojecting between the spaced hinge lugs, said lugs having notches inthe edges thereof positioned to receive said projecting end of the latchlever in the closed and open positions of the fuse cover, a guard iiangeupstanding on the front of the fuse cover extending from the hingeportion of the fuse cover about and surrounding the ringer depressibleend portion of the latch lever and projecting to a height substantiallyas great as the extent of projection of said nger depressible portionfor preventing accidental releasing operation of the latter and a springdisposed beneath the linger depressible end portion of the latch leverand located within the confines of said surrounding -guard flange.

GEORGE E. FITZGERALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 346,046 Howe July 20, 1886531,353 Wilson Dec. 25, 1894 1,218,348 Yates Mar. 6, 1917 1,224,881Kries May 1, 1917 1,305,998 Fromager et al June 10, 1919 1,364,674Wurdack Jan. 4, 1921 1,530,116 Hawkins Mar. 17, 1925 1,651,824 KrentlerDec. 6, 1927 1,652,795 Platt Dec. 13, 1927 1,725,441 Caldwell Aug. 20,1929 2,070,706 Benson Feb. 16, 1937 2,405,815 Cartun Aug. 13, 1946FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 33,950 France Oct. 16, 1928 351,393Germany Apr. 7, 1922

